Foot for crutches or canes.



No. 765,984. PATENTBD JULY'ZG, 1904. J. W. MORRIS & G. J. LUCK. FOOT FORURUTGHES OB. GANBS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1899.

N0 MODEL.

Worm 0gb.

UNITED STATES I Patented July 26, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN IV. MORRIS AND GUSTAVE J. LUCK, OF MILWAUKEE, WVISCONSIN.

FOOT FOR CRUTCHES OR CANES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,984, dated July 26,1904.

Application filed February 24,1899. Serial No. 706,649. (No model.)

To (ZZZ. whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. MoRRIs and GUSTAVE J. LUCK, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee andState of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Feet for Urutches or Canes, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

The main objects of our invention are to prevent slipping, to preventinjury to carpets and floors, to avoid wear and the disagreeable gratingor grinding sensation produced by the turning of one metal part in orupon another, and generally to improve the construction and operation ofdevices of the class to which my invention relates and to promote theconvenience and comfort of those who are obliged to use crutches andcanes.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and combinationsof parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical medial section on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of ajointed foot embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionof the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section similar tothat shown in Fig. 1 of a modified form of the device.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A designates a socket-piece, which is formedin the upper end with a tapering socket and in the lower end with aspherical socket. For the purpose of assembling the parts as hereinafterexplained this socket'piece is made in two or more sections, as mostclearly shown in Fig. 2. The end of the crutch or cane stick to whichthe foot is to be applied is tapered and fitted in the socket in theupper end of the socketpiece A, in which it swivels or turns freely, andis held by a headed pin or screw B, which passes through a countersunkhole in the socket-piece A into the end of the crutch or cane stick, asseen in Fig. 1. O is a ferrule or sleeve fitted over and threaded uponthe socket-piece A for holding its component sections together in theirproper relation to each other and to other parts of the jointed foot.The socket-piece A is formed at or near its lower end with anoutwardly-projecting flange or shoulder, against which the lower end ofthe ferrule G abuts when it is screwed down into place upon saidsocket-piece. D is a rubber ring which is placed over the joint betweenthe upper end of the socket-piece A and the end of the crutch or caneand serves to exclude from said joint moisture and dirt which mightprevent the crutch or cane from turning freely in said socket-piece. Eis a circular metallic holder recessed on the under side and internallythreaded to receive and hold a rubber cushion F, which constitutes thebearing of the foot. The holder is formed or provided centrally on theupper side with a ball G, which is loosely fitted in the sphericalsocket in the lower end of the socket-piece A. H is a rubber ring orannular cushion interposed between the lower end of the socket-piece Aand the upper side of the holder E around the neck of the ball (Jr. Itserves to prevent shock or jar and the grating or grinding sensationwhen the foot strikes the floor or ground and one part of theball-and-socket joint turns in the other part. The cushion F, which ispreferably made of soft rubber, is recessed or concaved on the underside, so as to leave a bearing around the margin of the rubber, which isthus made to act when brought squarely down upon the floor or groundlike.

a sucker. In this way slipping of the foot is prevented and at the sametime injury to carpets and floors is avoided. To insure the foot beingbrought squarely down upon the floor or ground, the ball Ur is fittedloosely in its socket, so that when the foot is raised it will naturallyassume a horizontal position at whatever angle the crutch or cane may beheld. The upper side of the cushion F is also recessed or concaved, or aspace is left between it and the top of the holder E, so that the middleof the rubber cushion can yield upwardly in the said holder. By thismeans if snow or mud collects in the cavity in the lower side of thecushion when a step is taken the rubber will be forced upwardly into theholder and when the foot is raised will by reason of its elasticity tendto spring back into its normal position, and thus expel the snow or mudtaken up by the foot. Thefoot is thus made self-clearing.

In the use of a cane or crutch, particularly a crutch, it is turned ortwisted more or less in taking a step. This turning or twisting movementis provided for in the swivel-joint between the crutch or cane end andthe socketpiece A, so that when the foot is brought into contact withthe floor or ground it does not turn thereon, nor does the ball Gr turnin the socket-piece A. Abrasion and wear of the contact-surface oncushion F are thus greatly reduced, the tearing of carpets and marringof floors are avoided, and the wear and disagreeable grating andgrinding sensation produced by the ball turning in its socket arematerially reduced. To prevent the grinding of the ball in its socket, apiece of rubber or leather may be placed between them or a stiff orsemisolid lubricant may be employed.

Referring to Fig. 3, showing a modification of the jointed foot, thesocket-piece A is made in a single piece and is provided at the lowerend with a ball G, which forms a part of the universal joint connectingthe socket: piece A with the holder E of the foot. The ball G is madeseparate from the socket-piece and attached thereto by a screw-thread orother suitable means, so as to admit of assembling the parts ashereinafter described. The end of the crutch or cane is tapered andfitted to turn in the socket-piece A, and the joint between them isprotected by a rubber ring D. A headed pin or screw B passing upwardlythroughacountersunk hole in the ball Gr and its stem into the end of thecrutch or cane stick holds it loosely in the socketpiece. Holder E isformed on the upper side with a part of a spherical socket to receivethe ball G, which is held therein by a retaining-ring 1, threaded insaid holder. A rubber ring H is interposed between the lower end of thesocket-piece A and the ring I of the holder and forms a cushion servingthe same purpose as the like designated ring in Fig. l. A rubberbearing-piece or cushion F is screwed into the holder E, as in Fig. 1.The operation of this form of the device is essentially like that of theform shown in Fig. 1 and will be readily understood without furtherexplanation.

Various changes in the minor details of the device may be made withoutaffecting its operation and without departing from the principle andintended scope of the invention.

We claim 1. A foot for crutches and canes comprising a socket-piece inwhich the crutch or cane stick is swiveled and freely turns and a holderprovided with a cushion and having a universaljoint connection with saidsocket-piece separate and distinct from the swivel connection betweensaid socket-piece and the crutch or cane stick, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. A foot for crutches and canes comprising a socket-piece in which thecrutch or cane end is held, a holder provided on the bottom with acushion and having a universal-joint connection with said socket-pieceand a cushion interposed between said holder and socketpiece,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A foot for crutches and canes comprising a socket-piece in which thecrutch or cane stick is swiveled, a rubber ring placed over the jointbetween the upper end of said socket-piece and the crutch or cane stick,and a holder provided on the bottom with a cushion and connected withsaid socket-piece by a ball-andsocket joint, separate and distinct fromthe swivel connection between said holder and the crutch or cane stick,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A foot for crutches and canes comprising a recessed holder having ajointed connection with a crutch or cane, and a flexible cushion securedin said holder at the edge or periphery and concaved or recessed on theunder side, a space being left between the upper side of said cushionand the top of said holder, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. A foot for crutches and canes comprising a socket piece composed ofsections, and formed in the upper end with a tapering socket and in thelower end with a spherical socket, the crutch or cane being fitted toturn in said tapering socket and loosely held therein a headed pin orscrew passing through the bottom of the socket, a ferrule fitted overand threaded upon said sectional socket-piece for holding the partstogether, a holder recessed on the under side and provided on top with aball which is fitted in said spherical socket, a cushion secured in saidholder, and a cushion interposed between the holder and socketpiece,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we hereto affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN WV. MORRIS. GUSTAVE J. LUCK. l Vitnesses:

CHAS. L. Gross, KENT H. FLANDERS.

